The day the music died...

Today we remember what we lost 50 years ago...

February 3, 1959 - On a cold winter's night a small private plane took off from Clear Lake, Iowa bound for Fargo, N.D. It never made its destination.

When that plane crashed, it claimed the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. "Big Bopper" Richardson (three of Rock and Roll's most promising performers) and the pilot, Roger Peterson. As Don McLean wrote in his classic music parable, American Pie, it was "the day the music died."

"The Winter Dance Party Tour" was planned to cover 24 cities in a short 3 week time frame (January 23 - February 15) and Holly would be the biggest headliner. Ritchie Valens, probably the hottest of the artists at the time, The Big Bopper, and Dion and the Belmonts would round out the list of performers.

The tour bus developed heating problems. It was so cold onboard that reportedly one of the drummers developed frostbite riding in it. When they arrived at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, Buddy Holly had had enough of the unheated bus and decided to charter a plane for himself and his guys.

Dwyer Flying Service got the charter. $36 per person for a single engine Beechcraft Bonanza. It only had serial numbers, N3794N.

The plane took off a little after 1 A.M. from Clear Lake and never got far from the airport before it crashed, killing all onboard. A cold N.E wind immediately gave way to a snow which drastically reduced visibility. The ground was already blanketed in white. The pilot may have been inexperienced with the instrumentation. One wing hit the ground and the small plane corkscrewed over and over. The three young stars were thrown clear of the plane, leaving only pilot Roger Peterson inside.

Over the years there has been much speculation as to whether a shot was fired inside the plane which disabled or killed the pilot. Logic suggests that encased in a sea of white snow, with only white below, Peterson just flew the plane into the ground.

Inscribed on Ritchie Valens' grave are the words, "Come On, Let's Go."

Holly's recent bride, Maria Elena, was pregnant when the crash took place; she had a miscarriage shortly afterward.